Houston, TX – Bayou Land Conservancy (BLC), a local land trust focused on conserving land and protecting Houston’s primary water source, Lake Houston, announced that construction of the 13-mile Spring Creek Nature Trail has reached completion. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Friday, June 1st at 9 am at Montgomery County Preserve, to celebrate the conclusion of major construction activities.

The natural-surface trail is funded by a Recreational Trails Grant of $100,000 from Texas Parks & Wildlife, with matching funds provided by REI, The Woodlands Township, and the American Hiking Society. Project partners include Montgomery County Precinct 3, The Woodlands Development Company, The Woodlands Township, Harris County Precinct 4, and the Greater Houston Off-Road Biking Association. Construction began in 2017 on the Harris County side of Spring Creek at the George Mitchell Nature Preserve, which is owned by The Woodlands Development Company and moved eastward. The trail terminates at the Montgomery County Preserve, which is owned by Montgomery County Precinct 3 and is preserved with a conservation easement held by Bayou Land Conservancy.

Much of the trail construction, including boardwalks and foot bridges, was accomplished by volunteers, trained through BLC’s Spring Creek Greenway Ambassador Program. Led by a core team of trail builders, and managed by Land Stewardship Director Suzanne Simpson, more than 2,500 hours of volunteer time have gone into the construction process. Segments of the trail were also constructed through contracts with Student Conservation Association, Texas Conservation Corps, and Sages Trail Solutions.

The trail can currently be accessed at three trail heads and provides 9 miles of forested trail for hikers and bikers. The three trailheads currently open all provide parking, and the trailhead at Rob Fleming Recreation Center has restrooms. The other open trailheads are the George Mitchell Nature Preserve’s Flintridge Trailhead and Montgomery County Preserve. The Creekside Park West trailhead, off Dr. Ann Snyder Way, will be open later this summer and provide access to 4 additional miles of trail, totaling 13 miles of access. Permanent trail signage is forthcoming. In the meantime, the trail is marked with blue blazes along its extent.

“This is a project built by the community for the community,” said Jill Boullion, Executive Director. “This 13-mile, natural surface trail, will be a great asset and provide an entryway onto the Spring Creek Greenway, which is the longest, contiguous, urban, forested greenway in the country. We are grateful for the partnership of Texas Parks & Wildlife and the other stakeholders in this project.”

About Bayou Land Conservancy: Bayou Land Conservancy is a community-sponsored land preservation organization working to permanently protect land in the Houston region since 1996. Bayou Land Conservancy preserves land along streams for flood control, clean water and wildlife. We envision a protected network of green spaces that connect people to nature.